This invention relates to a multipurpose jacket and more particularly to a jacket convertible into a garment for providing full body protection against cold weather.
The jacket when properly constructed, sometimes including a hood, is generally effective to protect the upper body against cold weather. A properly insulated jacket or coat is very effective when the weather is extremely cold. The jacket is readily removable, as well, so that it can be donned quickly when leaving a warm environment such as a house or office and entering a cold environment such as outdoors during cold weather. Conversely, when entering a warm environment the jacket is readily removable.
The lower part of the body, including the legs and extending up to the hips or waist, however, depending on the type of jacket which is available presents another kind of problem for the average person.
If one wears dress or garments covering the lower body extremities designed for cold weather, such as thermal underwear or insulated pants, the wearer becomes uncomfortable when he enters a heated building or vehicle, and such garments are not conveniently removable. If such protective garments are not worn, there are many circumstances when the coat or jacket is not adequate protection to the wearer. Examples of such situations include sitting outdoors during cold weather in a stadium observing a football game or sitting or lying quietly in wait for game during a hunting outing during the cold weather. Garments such as blankets or leg wrappings may be brought along to provide extra protection in those situations, but such garments are usually bulky, inconvenient to carry or use, and very often interfere with the activities being engaged in such as when rising for ovations or to make observations. In addition, there are occasions when one becomes unexpectedly exposed to extreme cold and is not prepared with the proper dress or the extra garments just described, for example, being stranded in an automobile during a blizzard or where fuel is exhausted in a remote location.
There have been previous efforts to produce articles of clothing which can provide added protection under certain adverse conditions. Examples of some of these are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,489,046, 2,322,451, 2,372,110, 2,911,648, 3,381,306, and 4,158,892. The garments and articles of clothing shown in these patents are generally awkward to wear and to convert into one of their alternative applications and furthermore in many cases they are so complicated that their very usefulness on a practical level must be questioned.